New Year Celebrations were quieter this year and the mild weather of December continued for the most part until the third week of January  and even then, a few very cold days/nights gave way to mild spells and well above normal conditions...

...not optimal for making ice for fishing or grooming trails for snowmobiling.

The OPP continued to warn and many did not heed as both trucks and snowmachines got wet. Nearly all water/ice crossings were closed until the last 10 days of January. A lousy start for many.

But the snow came...             and then it came again...

By Jan 23rd ice fishing is pretty well in full swing, and from what we hear, the fishing is the best it has been in years, at least out at Perch Alley where large Pickerel/Walleye are also caught.

Also by this day the OFSC trails are all open and so are the Ice crossings.

                                         ...  and again...

... and of course the sunsets continue...

Late January saw our first groups of Snowmobilers and IceFishers. The fishing continues to be the best it has been in years!

The trails around town are beat up due to the thaw/mild temps we seem to have every 10 days or so... but most all trails are open.

   View from Banner Avenue Jan 26

   These groups of ice shacks are out by Perch Alley about 4km from shore
                      (telephoto lens image)

By early February Snowmobiling finally was in full swing...

In the late evening we see all the traffic coming off the lake, these lights mostly from folk ice fishing out by Perch Alley

       Here Kyle Hegedus with Bombardier is cooking up a storm for the group of aircraft modification specialists and test-pilots (Dynamic Aviation) for the SuperBowl Sunday Party... BeerCan Chicken (top rack) and tons of other food... and yes, sure was good!

Sunset Feb 5th

Torbay path to the Lake

 That plowtruck in the first pic of this page is still in the ice... it has sunk a little farther down, and apparently Min. of Labour is now involved ... hmmm ... meantime the Speed Run track has been moved adjacent, with the Pond Hockey between it and the shore for the Feb 11/12 weekend.

Monster Pond Hockey Returns    Just off the shore of Lake Nipissing, near Torbay Cottages
Hard as it is to believe, Monster Pond Hockey is played on 20 ice rinks of 75 feet by 150 feet. It is a 4 on 4 pond hockey tournament
with claims to the largest Kids & Adult tournament in the world.

Also North Bay Snowmobile Speed Runs  race season returns
The 2012 season will consist of 5 races at several different locations. All races will follow the new track length format of “1320ft. — 1/4 mile”
A new chapter in the N.B.S.S.R. record book will be written this winter.

 One whole day of fun on Wed Feb 8th

Nearly 500 kids, 280 hamburgers, 220 hot dogs, 500 cups of hot chocolate.

The 20 rinks cleared on Lake Nipissing for the Monster Pond Hockey Tournament were buzzing with activity Wednesday, with 52 teams from 17 schools taking part in the elementary school tournament.

Check News2011 for last year's Torbay changes and a-happenings